Two Sides of a Coin
by Jason M. Lee
Summary: KxK, with a bit of Kenji. A little something while pulling an all-nighter. Combo of songfic/poem. The Japanese terms may annoy readers, so read at your own risk.


Two Sides of the Coin  
By Jason M. Lee  
  
A little rambling that popped in while still in my GW writer's block (at the same time while working on my research paper). Yes, I know the Japanese is annoying but just bear with it. Most of them are familiar to the majority of you anime otakus so it shouldn't be too hard. Site for translating most of the words is at the bottom. Gomen to those illiterate in Japanese. *bows till head nearly touches floor*  
  
Disclaimers: Should have, would have, could have, but never will own RK. Wish Watsuki-sensei did more. Lyrics are property of Savage Garden, "Truly Madly Deeply."  
  
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X  
  
Shinkyo.  
  
Ikioi.  
  
Korosu.  
  
Mamoru.  
  
[I'll be your dream,  
I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy.  
I'll be your hope,  
I'll be your love be everything that you need.  
I love you more with every breath truly madly deeply do..]  
  
Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu.  
  
Kamiya Kasshin Ryuu.  
  
Bakumatsu Douran.  
  
Meiji Jidai.  
  
[I will be strong I will be faithful  
'cause I'm counting on  
A new beginning.  
A reason for living.  
A deeper meaning.]  
  
Iwaku.  
  
Mirai.  
  
Kurai.  
  
Hikari.  
  
[ want to stand with you on a mountain.  
I want to bathe with you in the sea.  
I want to lay like this forever.  
Until the sky falls down on me...]  
  
Tsuki.  
  
Taiyou.  
  
Sessha.  
  
Boku.  
  
[And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,  
I'll make a wish send it to heaven then make you want to cry..  
The tears of joy for all the pleasure in the certainty.  
That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of..  
The highest powers. In lonely hours. The tears devour you..]  
  
Hitokiri, ryu.  
  
Shihondai, kou.  
  
Otoko, Rurouni.  
  
Onna, kenkaku.  
  
[I want to stand with you on a mountain,  
I want to bathe with you in the sea.  
I want to lay like this forever,  
Until the sky falls down on me...]  
  
Chichi.  
  
Haha.  
  
In'you.  
  
On'you.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
By the glowing lamp, Kenji furiously wrote down the lines that had been plaguing his mind for some time. In the futon, Saori slept peacefully when he took a peek at her, curled up against the winter cold. Smiling sadly, the young kenkaku continued the brush strokes with hard focus.  
  
It had been nearly three years.  
  
//Ties that bind,  
Pain holding a bond;  
Lives together in line,  
Floating with sakura song.  
  
One in the path of red and yellow,  
One on the road of blue and white;  
Together in the beginning,  
Not yet touching the light.  
  
Times two summer by,  
Double threads coming to one;  
A life created from love,  
In the Land of the Rising Sun.  
  
Fly another thirteen springs,  
Flame of candle starting to fade;  
Shikashi, futatsutomo Tokyo wa kaeru,  
Under sakura blossom shade.  
  
Segi, shinnen, ikita, mirai,  
Four things they believed in;  
From low Hell to high Heaven,  
Their friends still pursue to win.  
  
Not relying only on strength,  
Nor just on merely brains,  
Mainly faith in self and each other,  
Propels them even through pain.  
  
Now jikan has passed,  
A legacy now ended and gone;  
Ryu and kou present in spirit,  
Fading in body with sakura song.//  
  
With a final flourish, Kenji laid down the brush and stamped his name onto the scroll, watching the red ink dry. Sitting back a little, he contemplated the entire thing.  
  
The back-piece was a sakura motif, shimmering blue with a light tinge of crimson. The poem itself was situated in the upper right section, the black ink still shining with wetness. An old friend had done the painting that even surpassed his expectations.  
  
Taking up most of the space leftover, the colors shone with such intensity that you'd think the pictures would come to life.  
  
A dark violet dragon curled around the image of his father, serpentine body loosely entwined with the man, the head resting over the left shoulder. The mane of the creature matched the shade of the former kenkaku's hair, albeit a bit brighter. Gold eyes shone with such concentration that it could make a normal person flee in fear, yet it held a soft tenderness. Katana sharp claws delicately placed on the shoulder and Kenshin's left leg, while the tail wrapped possessively around Kaoru's waist, who was standing next to her husband.  
  
Sapphire adorned the phoenix perched on the right shoulder of his mother, the tail feathers fading from blue to white that matched the snow. Two long tail feathers that were different from the entire tail, more elaborate, was gently weave around Kenshin's wrist like a bracelet. The few plumes the stuck out on the head were black as the midnight sky and fell back like a high ponytail, while the eyes matched Kaoru's in stubbornness and purity. Magenta shifted from the blue as the feathers went from the wings and closer to the body, like the gi's color Kenshin use to wear during his rurouni days.  
  
Branches overhead were filled with sakura blossoms in full bloom, several petals in mid-flight. A red falcon was perched on one of the brown limbs, alongside a small swallow that was tinged with blue. One lone blossom, that of white plum, sat a little dejectedly aside but a blooming red pomegranate was right next to it. It was as if the red flower was providing companionship to the white one.  
  
Looking over to his parents, Kenji was glad that his friend had did a splendid job .  
  
The couple were painted in their wedding garments, as if neither of them had aged twenty years. A white haori and gi with a dark blue hakama on Kenshin, his crimson locks tied up in the high ponytail. Eyes were a twinkling violet rimmed with gold, full of mischief and happiness. On his left side, the sakaba was in the hakama ties, shining brightly from a good cleaning.  
  
Kaoru's kimono matched her husband's in color but her's was a snowy landscape with several embroidered cranes. The sleeves were elongated, just stopping short a foot from the ground and one had a crane embroidered onto it, wings spread as if in courtship. Her hair was tied back with a orange-striped indigo ribbon that Kenshin had given to his wife as a birthday present to replace the old one, according to Yahiko.  
  
Best of all, they were smiling. Neither masked but real ones, smiles that shone from their hearts and souls. Not to mention, the two were holding hands, nearly lost in the folds of their sleeves.  
  
Before turning to get into the warm futon from the wintry chill, Kenji noticed something odd. When he studied it, the young man had to cover his laughter.  
  
The older painter carried a crazy sense of humor and had inserted the heads of a grinning Sano, Yahiko, and Misao from behind the sakura trunk. A smiling Megumi and Tsubame, a slightly smiling Aoshi, smirking Hiko, and a reluctant smiling Saitou followed from underneath. Though it wasn't like that on the actual wedding day, Yahiko had said that it was a lot more chaotic than a normal Shinto ceremony, given all of their oddities.  
  
His chuckles dying down, Kenji blew out the light and joined Saori in their futon. Gazing at the dark ceiling, he smiled once more before drifting into dreams of him being a small child again.  
  
One favorite was when he had slept in his parents' arms as a child during a picnic, under the sakura blossoms. Warm, safe, secure, and at peace.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Shinnin.  
  
Shinjiteru.  
  
Kyoto.  
  
Tokyo.  
  
[Oh can't you see it baby?  
You don't have to close your eyes  
'cause it's standing right here before you.  
All that you need will surely come...]  
  
Hitori.  
  
Issho.  
  
Shishou.  
  
Tou-san.  
  
[I'll be your dream  
I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy.  
I'll be your hope  
I'll be your love be everything that you need.  
I'll love you more with every breath truly madly deeply do...]  
  
Hotaru.  
  
May 14, 1878.  
  
Yakusoku.  
  
Kaeru.  
  
[I want to stand with you on a mountain,  
I want to bathe with you in the sea.  
I want to lay like this forever,  
Until the sky falls down on me...]  
  
"Kenshin. Okaerinasai."  
  
"Tadaima."  
  
[I want to stand with you on a mountain,  
I want to bathe with you in the sea.  
I want to lay like this forever,  
Until the sky falls down on me...]  
  
"Ta...daima...... Kaoru."  
  
"Okaerinasai..... Shinta."  
  
  
~OWARI~  
  
  
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AN: Pure ramblings in my opinion here. I was on a writing roll when it popped into my head at 2AM, while working my research paper. Flame me, praise me, anything of your words. *yawns* Kuso, I'm still tired... AND I STILL HAVE THAT DAMNED GW WRITER'S BLOCK!!!! *pulls hair*  
  
Saori is borrowed from Vitani's "A Whisper of Yesterday." That is Vit-san's idea, not mine. The reference of the "friend of Kenji" is loosely based on my GW character (despite the name, it ain't an insert).  
  
In'you and on'you is literally "yin" and "yang".  
  
The site below is the source of most of the words:  
  
www.savergen.com/onldict/jap.html  
  
Nothing much but it's a challenge to authors (as I'm not on the RKFFDisc) out there. It's the "what if" type:  
  
What if Kenshin had a son by Tomoe back in the Bakumatsu and the kid's looking for oro-chan but not because for revenge?  
  
Name of the son (I am partial to the name Kensai, meaning "man of ability" or "gifted man.") and some of the other details is the choice of the author's. Time frame can be after Kenji's birth or any time. Just for fun, folks.  
  
  
Began: March 26, 2002  
Completed: April 5, 2002 


End file.
